Tillandsia bartramii Ball on Wire (large)
Epiphytic dry Tillandsia from South America. It does not require soil, thrives well in bright locations, and absorbs moisture through its leaves.
Tillandsia bartramii is a medium-sized, rosette-forming species from southeastern North America, particularly Florida, as well as parts of Mexico and Central America. It was scientifically described by Stephen Elliott in 1818.
The species name honors the American naturalist William Bartram.
Characteristics:
It forms upright, narrow-linear leaves in a loosely opened rosette. The leaves are silvery-gray, heavily scaled, and firm. The blooming inflorescence displays violet tubular flowers, accompanied by pink to reddish bracts.
Care Instructions:
Light: Very bright to sunny, prefers good air movement. Water: Spray vigorously 2–3 times a week or briefly soak. Then allow to dry well. Humidity: Medium to high (50%+), avoid drafts, but promote air circulation. Fertilizer: We recommend using our special Tillandsia or orchid fertilizer in diluted form 1–2 times per month in spring and summer. Temperature: 16–30 °C, relatively robust – can tolerate short periods down to about 5 °C frost-free.
Note: Particularly decorative on wood, cork, or stone. Easy to care for and recommended for beginners and enthusiasts of larger gray Tillandsias.
Our greenhouses are equipped with modern energy screens and double glazing to efficiently save on heating costs. Additionally, we collect rainwater over the entire roof area of 9,000 square meters and use only this water to irrigate all our crops. We collect the rainwater in underground tanks with a total volume of 600,000 liters.
Since 2007, we have been heating our entire operation with a fully automated 850 kW wood chip heating system and a 100,000-liter buffer storage tank. Environmentally friendly and CO2-neutral. Only to support during very cold winter days and nights is a conventional oil heating system available.
Since 2014, the heating has been supported by a solar thermal system with an annual yield of about 20 megawatt-hours.
In 2020, we installed a photovoltaic system with 30 kW peak and have been producing more green electricity per year than our entire operation requires.
Since 2021, we use exclusively pots for our self-produced plants that are not only 100% recyclable but are also entirely made from recycled pots. To this end, we collect all used pots that arise in our operation and have them picked up in big bags by our pot supplier Göttinger. There, the pots are cleaned and processed in a water-free recycling facility into new pots that come back to us.
